The Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of Petunia plants which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. Some known Petunia varieties, i.e., the Revolution series `Revolution Purplepink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), `Revolution Brilliantpink` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), `Revolution Brilliantpink-Mini` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899) are of this decumbent type, have long stems, a lower plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few varieties having a great profusion of very small yellow flowers, and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a variegated pattern on a yellow ground colored petal and a very small flower, together with the above features.
The new variety of Petunia plant according to this invention originated as a mutant sport occurring as a spontaneous variant of `Sunbelchipi` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,355).
The new variety of Petunia plant was discovered as a sport of `Sunbelchipi` in April, 1997 at the Oumi Nursery Center of SUNTORY Ltd., at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The discovered Petunia plant was propagated by cuttings in April, 1997, and then grown in beds and pots on trial beginning in June, 1997 at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan. The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using the parent variety, `Sunbelchipi`, for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this Petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and is uniform and stable in its characteristics. This new variety of Petunia plant was named `Sunbelkist` (Petunia hybrida).
`Sunbelchipi`, the parent cultivar of the instant plant, was obtained as follows:
First of all, 167 seedlings were obtained from crossing a wild type of Petunia plant called `C1` as the female parent and another wild type of Petunia plant called `C2` as the pollen parent in November, 1992. From this crossing 15 seedlings were selected in view of their decumbent growth habit and flower coloration in spring, 1993. 30 seedlings were obtained from a crossing of these selected 15 seedlings in summer, 1993 and were grown. Then 16 seedlings were selected from these 30 seedlings. These selected 16 seedlings were tested in a trial by flower potting and bedding. The botanical characteristics of the finally-selected 16 plants were then examined, using the similar variety `Pearl Sky Blue` (non-patented in the United States) for comparison, from spring, 1994 to spring, 1995. Finally, only one Petunia plant was selected in April, 1995. As a result, it was concluded that this Petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and is uniform and stable in its characteristics. This new variety of Petunia plant was named `Sunbelchipi`.
The female parent used in the crossing of `Sunbelchipi` was a wild type of Petunia plant called `C1` (.female.) native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in January, 1992. The Petunia plant `C1` has an erect habit, abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms. The flowers are single, small and have purplish pink colored petals. The leaf shape is elliptic. The Petunia plant `C1` has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests.
The pollen parent used in the crossing of `Sunbelchipi` was another wild type of Petunia plant called `C2` (.male.) also native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in January, 1992. The Petunia plant `C2` has a semi-decumbent habit, long stems, abundant branching and a great profusion of blooms. The flowers are single, very small and have reddish purple petals. The leaf shape is lanceolate. The Petunia plant `C2` has a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests. These wild type of Petunia plants `C1` and `C2`, and `Sunbelchipi`, are presently maintained at the Oumi Nursery Center of SUNTORY Ltd., at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Colour Chart), and the Inter-Society color Council-Nation Bureau of Standard Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The characteristics of the similar variety `Pearl Sky Blue`, used for examination as a comparison, are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: Moderate resistance to heat, cold and diseases and pests. Strong resistance to rain. PA0 Growth habit: Decumbent to medium. PA0 Plant height: 15-16 cm. PA0 Spreading area of plant: The stem extends to a length of 11-13 cm from the base. PA0 Growth: Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. PA0 Blooming period: April to late October in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, drought and pests, especially resistance to rain and heat is very strong.
Growth habit.--Medium upright. PA2 Plant height.--14 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--15-17 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--2.7 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Dense. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.3 cm. PA2 Shape.--Elliptic. PA2 Length. (average)--5.5 cm. PA2 Width. (average)--3.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A, JHS 3507). PA2 Pubescence.--Dense. PA2 Thickness.--0.5-0.6 mm. PA2 Leaf attaching angle to stem.--Horizontal to droopy. PA2 Facing direction.--Upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shaped, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Shape of petal tip.--Obtuse. PA2 Waving of petal.--Weak. PA2 Lobation of petal.--Shallow. PA2 Diameter.--5.5 cm. PA2 Color.--Petal: Strong bluish purple (R.H.S. 88B-76D, JHS 8310). Bottom color of the corolla throat and the outside color of corolla tube: light yellow green (R.H.S. 4C, JHS 3304). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--0.7-0.9 mm in thickness, and 2.7 cm in length. PA2 Thickness.--2.3 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Present. PA2 Branching.--Abundant. Secondary branching is very strong. PA2 Length of internode.--1.4 cm. PA2 Shape.--Lanceolate. PA2 Length.--5.1 cm. PA2 Width.--1.6 cm. PA2 Color.--Dark yellow green. (R.H.S. 146B, JHS 3508). PA2 Thickness.--0.2-0.4 mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Sparse. PA2 Leaf attaching angle to stem.--Slanted upward to horizontal. PA2 Facing direction.--Horizontal. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Shape of petal tip.--Between obtuse and acute. PA2 Waving of petal.--Weak. PA2 Lobation of petal.--Shallow. PA2 Diameter.--2.8-2.9 cm. PA2 Color.--Petal: Vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 66B, JHS 9707). Bottom color of the corolla throat: Strong yellow (R.H.S. 11A., JHS 2513). Outside color of corolla tube: Light greenish yellow (R.H.S. 4C, JHS 2904). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil and 5 normal stamens. PA2 Peduncle.--0.7-0.8 mm in thickness, and 1.9 cm in length.
The botanical characteristics of the Petunia plant `Sunbelchipi`, the parent of this new variety, `Sunbelkist`, are as follows.
The plant shape does not change throughout this period.
This new and distinct variety of Petunia plant, `Sunbelkist`, was asexually reproduced by cuttings at the aforementioned the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan. and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.